Top Republican Michael McCaul was detained at the airport for ‘mixing Ambien with alcohol.’
The shocking event occurred two weekends ago at Dulles International Airport, according to the lawmaker who chairs the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee.
‘Two weekends ago, I made a mistake — one for which I take full responsibility,’ McCaul, R-Texas, said in a statement confirming the incident to DailyMail.com.
‘I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented in the airport. This was the result of a poor decision I made to mix an Ambien — which I took in order to sleep on the upcoming flight — with some alcohol. Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up.’
A spokesperson said that McCaul takes the medication because he’s a ‘nervous flyer.’
The chairman travels frequently in his position to meet with world leaders at home and abroad.
He was boarding a flight to Texas, where he lives with his wife Linda and five kids, when he was detained for being disoriented.
The congressman also had reportedly locked himself out of his own cellphone during the incident.
He was disoriented and missed his flight before police intervened and picked him up.
The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Police confirmed the lawmaker was charged after being ‘drunk in public’ around 9 p.m. local time on November 4.
It was just one day before the election, which McCaul soundly won.
He added in the statement that he hopes the incident will make him a better person.
‘I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the officers who intercepted me that evening.’
‘This incident does not reflect who I am and who I strive to be. As a human, I am not perfect. But I am determined to learn from this mistake and, God-willing, make myself a better person,’ he went on.
In recent months, McCaul has traveled to India and Taiwan to promote diplomatic ties between the U.S. and the foreign nations.
He is term-limited as the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, but can seek a waiver from House leadership to extend his term.
House Republicans just held leadership elections Wednesday, where they unanimously voted Mike Johnson back in as their leader.
He will still need to solidify his support with his members before a full vote in the House on January 3, 2025. Some hardline Republicans remain unconvinced he should lead them again this next Congress.
The other current House GOP leaders, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, will also stay in their positions after Republicans voted to keep them in power.
Johnson’s victory comes after Trump joined the lawmakers Wednesday morning at the Hyatt before meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House.
Trump told the Republicans he ‘100 percent’ supports Johnson retaining the speakership. ‘This is a tremendous guy. I’m with him all the way,’ Trump said.